How to cool down ingot molds?

[Mike W1]

Have 4 Lyman molds but they don't keep up with a propane tank pot.

How do you guys cool them down a bit?

 

[358156 hp]

I set them on the concrete floor in the garage. I have also laid an wet towel in an old cookie sheet and set the ingot moulds on the wet towel to cool down as I fill the next one. Keep water nearby to replace what evaporates off.

 

[Brad]

I use enough moulds to do a single fill with them on a Dutch oven full of range scrap. I can get around 30 pounds of ingots.
When needed I find a little water helps. Wet ground will cool them enough to harden the lead quite rapidly. Just keep the water out of the cavities when pouring unless you enjoy lead spatters.

 

[Dusty Bannister]

I like to use a piece of expanded metal to hold the molds off the surface of the bench. More air circulation, and some heat sink activity with the mesh. Prefer to keep water away from hot lead.

 

[fiver]

I have 10 rcbs and lyman ingot molds.
not counting the 2 I had custom made, and the one I welded up out of angle iron.
that one is an 8 gang 1-1/2 lb per ingot mold.
I wish I just had 3-4 of them from the start.
the triangle shapes pack lead in tighter, stack better, and are easier for me to put in the pot without problems.
it takes a pour or two for it to heat up but it works better when it's warmed up anyway.
running all 10 of the other molds and that one twice gets a pot of alloy down pretty far, so I can just re-fill it from there and start working on cleaning up the other pot of alloy.
that generally lets the ingot molds cool down enough before I start ladling the second pot empty.

 

[KHornet]

I use the concrete on the garage floor just like 358. If I really want them cooled fast (rarely) I have dunked them mold and all in water than dropped on to the concrete.

 

[Ian]

Garden hose with a sprayer nozzle set to 'mist'. Don't quench them below the steam point and water won't puddle in them to make a kaboom on the next pour.

 

[358156 hp]

I like to use a piece of expanded metal to hold the molds off the surface of the bench. More air circulation, and some heat sink activity with the mesh. Prefer to keep water away from hot lead.

I should have gone into a little more detail on my post. Anytime I use water in conjunction with casting, the water is at least two steps away from the pot. I am really respectful of the tinsel fairy.

 

[Mike W1]

Noticed today it's just 1 of the 4 molds that the ingots stick in. Tried setting that one on a 1/2" piece of aluminum on legs thinking that'd cool it faster. Didn't seem to help so before I resort to anything wet I'm gonna wire brush that mold out and see if that makes a difference. Starting to think heat isn't the problem.

 

[fiver]

if it's rusted I'd leave it alone.
just look for a burr or a rolled edge.